Wrapped package



Aug. 17, 'W65 L. MAsTr-:LLA 3,201,258

WRAPPED PACKAGE :filed Feb. 18. 1888 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent O M 3,2ll1,258 WRAPPED PACKAGE Louis Mastella, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Win. Wrigley, Jr., Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,057 1 Claim. (Cl. 99-180) This invention relates to Wrapped packages, and more particularly to wrapped packages which normally enclose two like stacks of similar and relatively thin items in adjacent edge-to-edge relationship, and which maintain the items in their stacked relationship both before and after the wrapper is opened with the aid of a tear strip which effects the removal of one end of the package wrapper, so as to expose the ends of the items of both stacks.

Although not necessarily limited thereto, the wrapped package herein disclosed is shown in an adaptation to the packaging of wrapped sticks of chewing gum in two adjacent stacks in order to provide a thin and conveniently carried package which will maintain its general configuration even after being opened.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a package for enclosing tw-o stacks of relatively thin items in adjancent edge-to-edge relationship and to prevent shifting or shufiiing of the items from one Stack to another either beforeor after the wrapper is opened to provide access to the contents.`

As another object, the invention oomprehends the provision of a package for enclosing a plurality of stacks of relatively thin items in adjacent edge'to-edge relationship to one another with a portion of the package wrapper extending between the stacks to serve as a partitioning barrier therebetween, and said wrapper being provided with a tear strip -for severing the wrapper, including the partitioning portion, near one end, so as to expose the ends of the items in the stacks while leaving a part of the partitioning portion therebetween to prevent shufiling or shifting of items between the stacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a package having a plural layer wrapper including a tear strip and suited to the enclosure and hermetic sealing of a plurality of stacks :of relatively thin items in edge-to-edge relationship with the wrapper pnoviding a partitioning barrier between the items of the stacks, and wherein the tear strip is disposed to sever the layers of the wrapper to expose the ends of the stacks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the foll-owing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a wrapped package wherein a preferred form of my invention is embodied;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but wherein the wrapped package has been partially opened by a tear strip embodied in the package wrapper;

FIG. 3 is a sectional end view of the wrapped package taken substantially as indicated by a line 3- 3 and accompanying arrows in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken substantial-ly at the position indicated by a line 4-4 and accompanying arrows in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3, drawn to a larger scale than FIG. 3, so as to illustrate details of the structure.

In the exemplary embodiment of this invention which is disclosed herein for illustrative purposes, a wrapped package is shown in an adaptati-on to the enclosure of a plnrality of relatively thin and flat items of generally uniform size and shape and having lengths greater than their widths, such as prewrapped gum sticks 12 arranged 3.,Zbl,258

ICC

in two like stacks 13 and 14 in side-by-side relationship and with longitudinal edges of the stcks of the stacks in opposed relationship to one another. By such an arrangement of items in the package, more than the usual number of items can be enclosed in the package, while still retaining a relatively thin and compact package unit which is readily carried in a purse or pocket without atfording undue bulk. In providing such a package, one of the problems encountered is the retention of the items in their respective stacks and the prevention of shifting or shuling of the items 'from one Stack to another to change the Shape and bulk of the package, particularly after it has been opened at one end for access to all of the contents.

As shown herein, an outer wrapper 15 encompasses the adjacent stacks of items in a direction lateral to the longitudinal dimensions of the items to provide an outer enclosure which is adapted to be sealed, and to enclose the items and retain them in a compact unitary grouping. This outer wrapper 15 is made of sheet material. In the embodiment disclosed,` the sheet material comprises a laminated structure including an inner layer or sheet 16 of a relatively thin metal foil which is impervious to moisture and air and an outer layer or sheet 17 of a material such as paper upon which indicia and decoration may be printed. The inner and outer layers or sheets 16 and 17 are bonded together by a suitable adhesive 18.

At opposite ends of the package, the wrapper initially extends outwardly beyond the ends of the stacked items to provide portions 19, 20, 22 and 23 which are folded into overlapping relationship to one another and sealed together by a suitable adhesive to close and seal the ends of the package. Near one end of the package, a tear strip 24 is laminated between the layers of sheet material and bonded to both sheets by a suitable adhesive. In the form disclosed, this tear strip is made of a thin and relatively narrow strip of a relatively strong and tough material, such as cellophane, and extends the full length of the package wrapper.

In order to prevent the items of the stacks from shifting or shuflling from one stack to another either before or after the package wrapper is opened, the wrapper 15 has an end portion 25 which extends between the opposed edges of the stacked items to provide a barrier therebetween. In wrapping the package, the portion 25 constitutes the inner end and the beginning of the wrapper. From that inner end, the wrapper extends around one stack, such as 14 of the items with a portion 26, adjacent the end portion 25, overlying the surface of an item of the stack 14 from whence the wrapper continues around the stack 14 and across the end of the portion 25 to continue on around the exterior of the second stack 13 with a. portion 27 overlapping and sealed to the exterior of the wrapper portion 26. After the wrapper has been applied to encompass and extend between the stacked items as prescribed, the extending end portions 19, 20, 22 and 23 are vfolded against the ends of the stacked items and sealed, as aforementioned.

By having the tear strip 24 laminated between the layers or sheets ofthe wrapper 15 and bonded to both layers or sheets 'thereof, and by having the sheets or layers bonded together, the tear strip does not interfere with the direct bonding of the portions 26 and 27 of the wrapper for sealing the package, whereupon there can be no direct access for a'ir or moisture across the seal and along the tear strip to the interior of the wrapped and sealed package. Furthermore, since the tear strip extends from end to end of the package wrapper, the manual tearing of the packing wrapper, as depicted in FIG. 2, by force applied to the exposed end of the tear strip and pulling it around the package will also sever the end of the portion 25 which provides the barrier be- Patented Aug. 17, 1965 3 tween the stacked items. The tearing of the barrier portion 25 between the stacked items is also facilitated by virtue of the fact that the tear strip is located closely adjacent one end of the Wr'apped package. This feature further lcaves a major portion of the barrier between the,

stacked items after the package is opened, whereby the stacked items are prevented from shifting or shuffling from one Stack to another. As i'llustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the outer end of the wrapper may be cut to provide a tab 28 which proiects beyond one surface of the package at the region of the tear strip 24 to facilitate the gripping of the end of the tear strip to start the opening operation.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accornpanying drawings, it may be readily understood that this invention affords a package wrapper, 'including an effective tear strip for opening the package to provide access to the contents, and wherein a plurality of like stacks of individual items are encompassed, covered and sealed in a relatively thin package suitable to carriage in a pocket or purse'with a barrier between the stacked items to prevent shifting or shuifling of the items from one Stack to another to change the general Shape of the package either before or after opening.

Having 'thusdescribed my invention, what is clairned is:

In a wrapped package for enclosing prewrapped and relatively thin gum sticks in stacked relat'ionship and maintaining the gum sticks in a plurality of segregated stacks, the combination comprising, two stacks of like numbers of said gum sticks with the sticks of each stack in face-to-face relationship to one another and said stacks in adjacent side-by-side relationship, and a longitudinally continuous unscored sheet of wrapping material having normal flexibility and assuming close conformity to the stacks of prewrapped sticks and having a first end portion extending between the sticks of the stacks and engaged thereby to provide a barrier 'therebetween having a free end edge and which prevents the shifting of sticks from one Stack to another, an intermediate portion of said wrapping material extending around the adjacent stacks in close contact With the prewrapped sticks, said wrapping material additionally having a second end portion opposite said first end portion which overlaps a part of the intermediate portion and is adhered thereto, said wrapping material also having side portions which extend beyond the ends of the sticks of both stacks and which are folded together at opposite ends of the stacks and adhered together, a continuous tear strip extending the full length of the wrapper 'through both of said end portions thereof at a position generally parallel to and near one end of the stacks to provide means for effecting severance of the wrapping material around and between the stacks to expose the ends of the sticks and leave a portion of the barrier between the sticks of the stacks, and said wrapping material comprising an inner layer of a metal foil and a second layer of a different sheet material bonded together with said tear strip disp'osed between said layers and bonded to both layers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,197 ,219 4/ 40 Groshong 229- 51 2,283,856 5/42 Hoenig 229-51 2,829,701 4/58V Keely 229- 51 3,085,735 4/63 lrVySOcki 229-51 3,106,333 10/63 Bulovic.

THERON E. CONDON. Primary Exam'ner. 

